Exercising apparatus



C. E. WILLARD EXERCISING APPARATUS Jan. 29 1924.

Filed Sept. 13 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 gnoenfo'o Jan. 29, 1924. 1,4 2,173

C. E. WILLARD EXEHC I S ING APPARATUS Filed Se t. 15 1.922 3Sheets-Sheet 3 Jan. 29 1924. 1,482,173

C. E. 'WILLARD EXERCI S ING APPARATUS F ile d Sept. 13 19,22 3Sheets-Sheet 5 31mm 11 foz Patented Jen. as, 1924.

UNHTED fiTATEnS PATENT orrice.

EKERCISING APPARATUS.

Application filed September 13, 1922. Serial No. 588,088.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. WILLARD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented a newand useful Exercising Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.

The invention relates to an exercising apparatus in which the 'body ofthe patient remains passive during the operation of the device, all ofthe movements of the trunk and limbs being produced by the deviceitself.

One object of the invention is the correction of curvature of the spine,especially the posterior curvature.

Additional objects are the development of the lungs by producing anincrease of the chest cavity; the strengthening of the respiratorymuscles and the muscles of the back, abdomen, shoulders and arms;exercising the internal viscera; and to provide a device which will beuseful in conjunction with a pulmotor for producing artificialrespiration.

Many other uses and applications of the device will become a parent tothose skilled in the treatment of isease in the following description ofthe apparatus.

One form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings inwhich Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device .in use, showing thepatient in position during the operation of the device.

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the device showing the movable parts inan intermediate position, certain parts of the device being omitted forsake of clearness in showing the operating rods.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the parts in approximately the sameposition as in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4; is a rear elevation clearly showing the motor and main operatingparts of the device.

Fig. 5 is a detail view illustrating the adjustment feature for the armrod.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the adjustment for the movable section of thetable.

Fig. 7 is a detail view of a further adjustable connection to produce achange in the degree of oscillation of the arm bar.

Fig. 8 is a detail view showing the adjustable portion of the rockingsection of thetable.

The apparatus consists of a table comprising a top frame sectionindicated by numeral 1 su ported b legs 2. The rods 3 are provide oiningt e legs to strengthen the frame.

The top of the table is made in two sectrons, a stationary section 4 anda movable section 5. The movable section 5 is rigidly mounted on a rod 6which is journalled in standards 7, 7 connected to the rods 3 and topframe member 1. This movable or pivoted section 5 has attached to itsunderside a link 8 which is provided with a slot 9. See Figs. 2 and 3).

The movable section 5 is iven a rocking motion by means of the 0 lowinmechanism: A yoke member 10 is adjustably connected to the link 8 by ablock 11 to which the yoke 10 is ivoted as shown in Fig. 6. The block 111s slidable along the slot 9 and may be secured against movement in saidslot by a bolt 12. The yoke 10 has threaded into it. a rod 13 which ispivotally connected at its opposite end to a crank member 14 as clearlshown in 'Figs. 2 and 4. The crank mem er 14 is journalled in bearingsin the standards 15, 15 which are connected to the frame in the samemanner as standards 7, 7. It will be noted that the standards 7, 7 and15, 15 serve the double purpose of supporting the bearings for themovable parts and giving the frame-additional strength. The crank member14 may be given a turning movement by any well known means such as ahand crank. In the preferred form of the device I provide a motor 16mounted on a bracket on the frame which is adapted to turn the crankmember through suitable gearing (not shown) en- I closed in a casing 17.

A hand bar 18 is mounted for swinging.

movement over the table. This bar 18 is connected at each end to rods 19which are each adapted to be adjustably secured to a rocker arm 20 bymeans of a member 21 (see Fig. 5) rigidly attached to the rocker arm.The members 21 are provided with apertures through which the rods. 19may slide and the rods 19 may be secured in any desired extendedpositionby means of a thumb screw 22. To the lower ends of the rockerarms 20 is connected a rod 23 which may be adjustably secured to therocker arm as clearly shown in Fig. 7 by means of the member 24; intowhich the rod 23 is threaded and which is slidable on rocker arm 20. Thethumb screw 25 serves to hold member 24 fixedly on said rocker arm..

Links 26 connect rod 23 with the crank member 14 mentioned above. Itwill be noted that the crank portion to which rods 26 are connected isfarther from the axis of the crank than the portion to which rod 13isconnected.

It may be found desirable to provlde an adjustable section in therocking portion this is illustrated in" Figs. 1, 2 and 8, the adjustablesection being indicated by numeral 5. This section is pivotallyconnected to the main section and may be held in various angularpositions by any suitable mechanism.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The atient lies flat on his back on the table With the upper portion ofhis body on the movable section of the table and the lower portion ofhis body on the stationary section of the table. The rod 18 is graspedby the hands, or if the patient is unable to grasp the rod the hands canbe secured to the same in any suitable manner.

The motor 16 is put in motion thus revolving the crank member 14 whichinturn causes both the movable table section 5 and the arm rod 18 torock on their pivot shafts due to the connections described abovebetween said members. The rocking section 5 while in motion first raisesthe body at the waist and at the same time lowers the head and shoulderswhile the arm rod moves to a position to fully extend the arms above thehead as shown in fulllines in Fig. 1. This movement tends to expand thechest cavityto its greatest extent and at the same time draws up theinternal organs and stretches the abdominal muscles. The move mentfurther tends to produce flexibility of the spinal column, which is verymaterial in the treatment of spinal curvature.

Continued movement of the rocking section 5 and the arm rod 18 lifts upthe head and shoulders of the patient and moves the arms to a positionas shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. This movement allows the muscles torelax and tends to decrease the chest cavity so that all the airpossible will be expelled from the lungs. These movements will becontinued as long as found desirable.

It will be readily seen that the device may be operated by the patienthimself as the controlling swltch for the motor may be placed in anyconvenient position on the table.

It will also be apparent that the device may be adjusted to suit theneeds of the patientsince the oscillation of the arm rod and the rockingsection 5 may be varied within wide limits.

,I am aware that numerous changes may be made in the details of thedevice without departing from the spirit of the invention and I do notwish to be limited to the details shown except as set forth in thefollowing claims:

-I claim:

1. An exercising apparatus comprising a table adapted to support apatient in a prone position, said table comprising a stationary sectionand a movably mounted section, an arm bar mounted on said table andadapted to have a swinging movement thereover, and common means forswinging the arm bar and moving the movable section.

2. An exercising apparatus comprising a table adapted to support apatient in a prone position, said table comprising a stationary sectionand a. pivotally mounted section, the latter adapted to supportapproximately the upper half of the patients body, an arm bar mounted onsaid table on a pivot located below the pivotally mounted section andadapted to have a swinging movement over the said section.

3. An exercising apparatus as set forth in claim 2 in which thepivotally mounted section may be adjusted for varying degrees ofoscillation.

4. An exercising apparatus as set forth in claim 2 in which the arm barmay be adjusted for different degrees of oscillation.

5. An exercising apparatus as set forth in claim 2 in which the arm barmay be adjusted to swing at Various distances from its pivot.

6. An exercising apparatus as set forth in claim 2 in which thepivotally mounted section is provided with an adjustable portion.

7 An exercising apparatus as set forth in claim 2 combined with meansfor swinging.

the arm bar.

8. An exercising-apparatus as set forth in claim 2 combined with commonmeans for swinging the arm bar and rocking the pivotally mountedsection.

9. An exercising apparatus as set forth in claim 2 combined with meansfor rocking the pivotally mounted section.

10. An exercising apparatus comprising a table adapted to support apatient in prone position, said table comprising a stationary sectionand a movably mounted section,,an arm bar mounted on said table andadapted to have a swinging movement thereover, and means for swingingthe arm bar and moving the movable section in synchronism.

CHARLES E. WILLARD.

